Current Fixations (Part 5)Film Noir/Hardboiled Detective Fiction"It was a blonde. A blonde to make a bishop kick a hole in a stained glass window."I've been on a huge Film Noir/ Hardboiled Detective fiction kick. Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald have been pretty much all I've been reading/watching latley. I'm loving the triple crossing, the femme fatales and the snappy dialogue.
"The minutes went by on toptoe, with their fingers to their lips."There must be many other film noir/detective novel buffs here in the Soo because the public library has a large collection of films and novels (most of which are out or missing when I initially go to borrow them).
"The big foreign car drove itself, but I held the wheel for the sake of appearances."A list of my recommendations from WATCH/READ NOW to pretty good to don't waste your time:
The WATCH/READ NOW!!! section:
The Maltese Falcon - by Dashiell Hammett (both book and film recommended) Among the top of the list for me. Detective Sam Spade must find a priceless statue. Check it out...
you can even buy a Maltese Falcon statue on ebay! Awesome!
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler (both book and film recommended) - Another great pair. Philip Marlowe helps an old retired General with a blackmail case. In order to explain a few things that couldn't be shown on film at the time (pornography, homosexuality), a reading of the novel is helpful to get what's going on. As an aside, "
The Big Lebowski" was loosely based on this story.
Farewell My Lovely (novel by Raymond Chandler) a.k.a.
Murder My Sweet (movie) - Jade necklaces, Psychic consultants and sanitariums, it's got it all. This one is more "READ NOW" than "WATCH NOW" but still highly recommended.
Red Harvest (novel by Dashiell Hammett) The Continental Op is called to a small town threatened by competing gangs.
The Drowning Pool (novel by Ross MacDonald) Lew Archer is hired to find out who is sending slanderous letters to a California wife
The Pretty Good section:
The Blue Dahlia -(film) Raymond Chandler's only original screenplay. Said to have "more twists than a pretzel" The Blue Dahlia's plot has a man returning from the war to find his wife's been cheating on him. She is later murdered and he's the prime suspect.
Chinatown (film) - Roman Polanksi's modern take on film noir. Jack Nicholson is great as Jake Gittes, hired to tail a supposedly cheating husband.
Pickup on South Street (film) - Secret government info is stolen by a pick pocket.
Panic in the Streets (film) - a deadly virus is let loose on New Orleans. Contains many actual residents as extras.
Hammett novels:
The Dain CurseThe Glass KeyThe Thin ManThe Don't waste your time section:
The Set Up
Crossfire
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Detour
The Hitch Hiker
The Scar
Poodle Springs
The Still Need to Watch/Read section:
I'd like to see Robert Mitchum's version of "Farewell, My Lovely" and "The Big Sleep".
Hammett:
The High Window
The Little Sister
The Long Goodbye
Playback
MacDonald:
The Way Some People Die
The Ivory Grin
Find a Victim
The Barbarous Coast
The Doomsters
The Galton Case
The Wycherly Woman
The Zebra Striped Hearse
The Chill
The Far Side of the Dollar
Black Money
The Instant Enemy
The Goodbye Look
Sleeping Beauty
The Blue Hammer
